The effect of age and sexual maturation on thermal preferences of honey bee drones

The thermal preferences of Apis mellifera carnica drones (male individuals) are poorly understood, though their reproductive quality affects the quality of the inseminated queen and the whole honey bee colony. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the thermal preferences of individual drones according to their age and sexual maturity. Drones at the ages of 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days were tested. The drones were placed on a platform in a temperature gradient in the range 20 °C and 46 °C. The thermal preferences of the drones were measured with the use of a thermal-imaging camera. Drones significantly differed with their choice of a preferred temperature. The one-day-old and the 25-day-old drones preferred the lowest temperatures. A slightly higher temperature was preferred by the 5-day-old drones, and the highest temperature was chosen by the drones at the ages of 10, 15, and 20 days. The changes in the thermal preferences of drones correspond to physiological changes occurring with age and connected with the rate of sexual maturation.